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Abbreviation
ED
Agencies
Department of Education
Federal Agency
Yes
Location

United States

What to Report to the OIG Hotline
Violations of Federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to U.S. Department of Education programs and funding, including complaints involving U.S. Department of Education employees, recipients of Department of Education funds, schools, school officials, other educational institutions, contractors, lending institutions, collections agencies, or public officials. This includes, but not limited to: • Embezzlement, bribery, or other public corruption involving U.S. Department of Education funds • Serious mismanagement involving U.S. Department of Education programs or funds • Theft or misuse of Federal student aid • Knowledge of fraud, waste, or abuse involving a financial aid administrator or other school official(s) • Knowledge of fraud, waste, or abuse involving a student loan servicer or collection agency • Knowledge that your school is not complying with regulations or laws involving Federal student aid or other U.S. Department of Education program or operation • Whistleblower reprisal (if you are a U.S. Department of Education employee, also report reprisal to the Office of Special Counsel) • Conflicts of interest • Contract and procurement irregularities • Theft or abuse of government property • U.S. Department of Education employee misconduct • Ethics violations by U.S. Department of Education officials • Unauthorized access to U.S. Department of Education Information Technology systems or Information Technology systems that involves administration or disbursement of U.S. Department of Education funds.
What Not to Report to the OIG Hotline
If your complaint or allegation does not involve fraud, waste, theft, mismanagement, public corruption, or abuse involving U.S. Department of Education programs or funds, you may need to contact another U.S. Department of Education office or Federal or State agency for assistance. If your complaint or allegation falls under one of the categories below, please contact the agency or organization listed for assistance. If you have been unable to solve a problem that is not a result of theft or fraud involving your Federal student loan: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD - 1-800-848-0983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman. The FSA Ombudsman’s Office is a neutral, informal, and confidential resource to help resolve disputes about your Federal student loans. If you have an issue with your private student loan, or another private financial product or service: • Please contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 1-800-411-2372 or http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/#student-loan. You can submit a complaint about private student loans, which are often issued by a bank, a credit union, your school, or another lending institution. If you believe an improper accounting error occurred on your student loan involving a collection agency or loan service center, or if you disagree with your loan servicer about the balance or status of your student loan: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD - 1-800-848-0983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman If you require technical assistance regarding your student loan, mediation between your loan servicing center, or problems receiving student loan documents from your loan servicer, disability forms, or loan cancellation: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD - 1-800-848-0983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman If the Internal Revenue Service has or will offset income tax returns, or if you believe that there has been an improper garnishment of your wages for the repayment of student loans: • Please contact the Office of Debt Collection Services at 1-800-621-3115 (or 1-202-377-3373 or 1-202-377-3374), or find more on what you can do if you defaulted on your student loan repayment here: https://myeddebt.ed.gov/borrower/contactusSubLinks If your school closed or your loan was cancelled as a result of a school closure: • Please contact the FSA Ombudsman’s Office at 1-877-557-2575 (TDD-1-800-8480983) or https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman If you have questions concerning the quality of education you received while attending a college, university, or trade school: • Please contact your local Better Business Bureau, the school’s accrediting agency, the State licensing agency, or the State Board of Higher Education. If your complaint involves a Head Start Program: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) OIG at 1-800-424-9121 or https://oig.hhs.gov/ If your complaint involves a school lunch program: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) OIG at http://www.usda.gov/oig/ If your complaint involves discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual preference: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights – 1-800-421-3481 or http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintprocess.html If you are a U.S. Department of Education employee and your complaint involves discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference: • Please contact the U.S. Department of Education Equal Employment Opportunity Service Office - 1-800-872-5327 or https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/om/fs_po/om/eeo.html If your complaint involves a scholarship scam—someone calling to offer you a scholarship and requesting your bank or credit card account number for a processing fee—do not share any information and immediately • Contact the Federal Trade Commission - 1-877-FTC-HELP or http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams

Duplicate Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant Awards

2022
F20CA0047
Other
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

This flash report presents our finding concerning duplicate Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant awards to institutions of higher education.1 This report includes a recommendation to enhance the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) ability to prevent, identify, and correct...

The Office of Postsecondary Education’s Oversight of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grants

2022
A20CA0029
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education
Pandemic

The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) has an adequate process in place to ensure that institutions of higher education (schools) use Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant funds appropriately and that performance goals are met...

Syracuse City School District Teachers Pay Over $31,000 for Submitting False Timecards to Federally Funded High School Dropout Prevention Program

Syracuse City School District Teachers Pay Over $31,000 for Submitting False Timecards to Federally Funded High School Dropout Prevention Program
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Syracuse City School District Teachers Pay Over $31,000 for Submitting False Timecards to Federally Funded High School Dropout Prevention Program SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Syracuse City School District teachers Jason Cecile and Nichole Murray have agreed to pay the United States $31,872.90 to resolve,,,

Former Key Worldwide Employee Sentenced in College Admissions Case

Former Key Worldwide Employee Sentenced in College Admissions Case
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Key Worldwide Employee Sentenced in College Admissions Case BOSTON – A former employee of William “Rick” Singer’s “The Key” for-profit business was sentenced today for her involvement in a scheme to use bribery and fraud to facilitate the admission of applicants to colleges nationwide,,,

Former Accountant for College Admissions Scheme Sentenced

Former Accountant for College Admissions Scheme Sentenced
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Former Accountant for College Admissions Scheme Sentenced BOSTON – A former accountant for the Edge College & Career Network (also known as The Key) and the Key Worldwide Foundation was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in the college admissions case. Steven Masera, 72, of,,,

OFFICERS RECOGNIZED AT THE WYOMING LAW ENFORCEMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE AWARD CEREMONY

OFFICERS RECOGNIZED AT THE WYOMING LAW ENFORCEMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE AWARD CEREMONY
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

OFFICERS RECOGNIZED AT THE WYOMING LAW ENFORCEMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE AWARD CEREMONY Members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force won a group award for their outstanding investigative efforts in 2021. Front Row (from left to right): Lindsey Hollingworth, Nicole Bailey, Drew Cotton,,,

Bais HaMedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore’s Use of Professional Judgment

2022
A20IL0005
Audit
Department of Education OIG
Department of Education

The objectives of our audit were to determine whether Bais HaMedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore (1) applied and documented its use of professional judgment in accordance with section 479A of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and (2) reported its use of professional judgment in...

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